WVC Hall of Fame to honor Coach Steve Stamps, 1956 football team, track and basketball athletes on June 4

Women’s basketball coach Steve Stamps and the 1956 football team are among those to be honored at the Wenatchee Valley College Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, June 4.

Dwight Pflugrath of the 1975-77 WVC basketball team and Jennifer Lemke of the 1980-81 track team will also be included in the inductions, as well as Don Schoening, who will receive the community booster award.

Festivities begin with a 4:30 p.m. social hour, 6 p.m. dinner, then the induction ceremonies in Van Tassell Center on WVC’s Wenatchee campus. Tickets are $40, with proceeds benefiting WVC athletics. For reservations, contact the WVC Athletic Department at (509) 682-6886 by May 27. Seating is limited.

Jennifer Lemke - Track and Field

Jennifer Lemke was a shot-put specialist from Sultan High School, where she still holds the school record in the shot and is ninth best in the discus. Lemke was a member of WVC’s 1980 and 1981 track and field teams. In her freshman year, she broke the school record in the shot-put five times, throwing 42’11” at the regional meet and placing third at state with a mark of 42’3,” which helped her team to a third-place finish.

As a sophomore, she improved upon her record-breaking throws on her way to taking first place at the state meet at Husky Stadium with a 48’5” toss, just missing her national record of 48’6 ½” set earlier in the year.

Lemke continued her athletic career at Arizona State University, where she placed eighth and sixth in the NCAA meets. She still holds the 10th best outdoor mark in the shot-put at ASU.

Her chance to make the Olympic team was dashed when she sustained a serious ankle injury one week before the Olympic qualifying meet.

Dwight Pflugrath - Basketball

Following a fine career at Peshastin-Dryden High School, Dwight Pflugrath played basketball for Wenatchee Valley College for two seasons in 1975-76 and 1976-77. In his freshman year under first-year coach Bill Pandiani, he averaged 12.9 points per game and the team tied for third in the league. As a sophomore he averaged 14.9 points, and once again the Knights finished third in the league and then earned the school’s second appearance at the Northwest Community College Championship Basketball Tournament.

After finishing at Wenatchee, he played two years at Whitworth College.

Pflugrath has taught and coached at Mansfield, Ritzville and Brewster schools. He is a member of the Whitworth College Hall of Fame, as well as the WIAA Coaches Hall of Fame.

Steve Stamps - Women’s Basketball Coach

A native of Chelan, Steve Stamps took over the women’s basketball program in 1983 upon the resignation of Jim Sollars. He took his team to the NWAACC tournament in his second year and a total of five times during his tenure from 1983-91, placing as high as fifth. In both 1988 and 1989 his teams won the league championship in the Eastern Region. He amassed a record of 149-77 and was named coach of the year for the Eastern Region on several occasions.

Stamps later coached the girl’s team at Chelan High School for six years from 1995 to 2000.

1956 Football Team

The 1956 team won the Washington State Junior College Athletic Conference championship with a 6-1 league record. For the overall season they were 6-2. The squad was coached by Tom Perry in the first of his seven years heading the football program at WVC. The team also won the league title in 1955 and 1957.

Don Schoening - Booster

Dr. Don Schoening served Wenatchee Valley College as athletic director from 1970-1980. Under his leadership, WVC started the women’s basketball and volleyball programs, returned men’s and women’s track as a collegiate sport, initiated women’s softball, and revived the Knights Booster Club. He chaired numerous NWAACC sports committees and is a member of the NWAACC Hall of Fame.